I would have had this chapter out a long time ago, buuuut... I lost my job at the real estate company. It wasn't anything I did. Their company slowed down like crazy and who is the first one to go? - the Admin. It's all good though because during this month, I've had some time off to really get things done. BUT because of my lost job (I lost it almost the same day that I posted the new chapter) I lost getting an apartment. Then my computer decided to explode because why not? And THEN my car goes haywire. I've always had bad luck in October and this was icing on the cake.
Now that November is here, I am happy to report I have a new job at an oil company (Receptionist/Admin and waaaaay better pay), I have the freedom to write as I wish (hint-hint this update here) and I've never been happier. Oh, and I work in the city which gives me total Devil Wears Prada moments. :) All in all, screw you, October! I beat you!
Ahem.. anyways, this was the reason for the lack of updating and/or writing and/or communication from me. I bought a new computer last week, I have free time at work to do what I wish, and I cannot think of a better job for me. Blue is a happy camper.
But enough about me. Get to reading! I've got one more chapter and then EXCITING THINGS HAPPEN! You could call this chapter 'filler' in a way. But not really because its still plot... bah! Just read it and see for yourself!
Happiness to all! See you at the bottom!
The silence in the room was stifling. Van fidgeted in his chair, his left knee bouncing up and down sporadically; the heel of his dark brown boot thumped silently on the bedside rug. Despite the warm sun shining brightly through the long window, the king felt an icy cold shiver run down his spine as his mahogany eyes soaked in Chid's still face. The chill caused his skin to rise with goose-flesh. Placing his tan hands on the arms of the wooden chair, he sighed quietly and glanced at the tall blond man sitting beside him.
"He's been like this ever since he was found in the library yesterday." Allen's deep voice penetrated the room like a solid punch. "The Royal Librarian was dead a few feet away. Heart failure. Whatever attacked him shut him down from the inside. I guess I should consider myself lucky that Chid isn't dead."
"What else have they discovered?"
"The books on the ground were all about our histories, mostly on the Kitsune Clan."
"Kitsune…" Van repeated solemnly, lacing his cold tan fingers under his chin. His dark eyes slipped back to the small child on the bed. Allen nodded his head emotionlessly.
"And after searching the castle, the only one missing was-"
"Merle." The black-haired man answered for him. The guilt and shame twisted his stomach. "What have the other kitsune said about his condition?"
"It's a mind control far more advanced than they have ever seen. It's like he's trapped. Locked away in his mind. They have begun to look up possible ways to counter the spell, but so far it doesn't look promising." Allen's pale face gave a strained smile. "I hope there are books for him to read wherever he is."
The king swallowed thickly and his shoulders fell forward with fatigue. "I was the one who brought her here in the first place. Dilandau warned me about her when I first found her on the road. She'd probably been waiting for us to arrive off the Silus Mountains. This was all Zaibach's plan. And now Chid's condition and Boutoc's death. This is entirely on my head. I will take responsibility for it all. Now that I know what she is… the Western Infantry's massacre… Dilandau's death… everything. I am to blame for it all." Van lowered his head and pressed his eyes against his palms till he saw stars. A bitter-sour taste coated the back of his throat. "I'm a blind fool. I'm such a blind fool. She was right under my nose the entire time and I never saw it."
Allen stood from his chair quickly which startled Van out of the cover of his hands. "We were all fooled. Chid talked about her like she was his best friend. Even Gadeth took a liking to her. You shouldn't strain yourself. You've got a country to run, a war to fight, and a Trial to take care of. Not to mention, your Pilot training. Chid isn't dead. If we find the kitsune then we may be able to free him from this."
The ebony-headed king remained silent, his mahogany eyes filling themselves with his proud second-in-command. Slowly, he rolled his gaze back to the bed. Chid's chest lifted up and down as he peacefully breathed. It was as if he was simply in a deep sleep. Like he could wake up at any given moment.
Allen sat back down with a quick exhaling breath, his long limbs draping in exhaustion. "What I want to know is: why Chid? What has he got to do with Zaibach's plans? Why did she attack him when she had plenty of time to kill any of us? Especially you, Lord Van. She slept in the same tower as Lady Millerna. She ate with my family. She played with Gadeth. She had her strange moments, but if this little girl had this much power, why didn't she annihilate us? She had so many chances."
"I don't know. I wonder if I know anything anymore."
"My king…" the blond man's face contorted into a mixture of pity and remorse.
"How can I protect my people if someone as strong and as small as this little kitsune is able to sneak in so easily and destroy an entire infantry? What do I do now?" Van sighed. Straightening in his chair, he closed his eyes briefly and a flash of Dilandau's urn draped in candlelight flashed in his mind. That immediately turned his thoughts to Hitomi. Her small arms, her fluffy nightgown. A deep calming feeling washed over him and he opened his eyes to look clearly at Allen. "It is best we are prepared for that in case she does. I'll contact The Mutts. They'll spread their ranks out and cover the border. She won't be able to escape back into Zaibach without getting past them."
"They shouldn't spread themselves too thin. They are our strongest line of defense."
"They've reported small skirmishes, but according to Jajuka, there haven't been any new plans for attack. None that he's been able to hear of at least. If anyone can catch her, it's them. I want her found."
Allen took a deep breath and stood laboriously from his chair. Lifting a hand, he pushed his long hair aside and rubbed the back of his neck. "I am grateful…"
"I'll be sending more troops to back up The Mutts led by Vehotus. And that means I must get these Trials done. I'm making it for mid-moon cycle."
Allen blanched. "Wha-What? But that's two days from now!"
"Hitomi has to get in the Vehotus and it has to be soon."
Seven birds – no, eight – perched in the twelve cider trees that stood in front of Hitomi. Small bugs crawled on the ground around her, skittering away for some unknown endeavor. Somewhere further beyond the clearing, a larger animal – possibly a raccoon – scampered up a tree trunk. She felt its claws digging into the wood, the push of its muscles and adrenaline. She roamed with the scattering bugs, noticing the way they utilized every bit of their senses to locate danger. She chirped and flitted with the birds. She felt their minds, quickly twitching from thought to thought – instinct to instinct. The raccoon let out a large yawn and she resisted the urge to yawn with it.
A loud huff crashed into her sensitive mind and Hitomi felt her entire body tense with irritation. Breathing slowly, she tried to shut out the swirl of aggravation that burned in her stomach and return to her meditation. A butterfly had just fluttered into the clearing and landed on a blade of grass. Hitomi allowed herself to marvel at the flexibility of its wings. She could feel her shoulder blades bending with the magnificent creature.
Almost as if she could have wings as well.
The call of three more types of birds whistled to her. She withdrew from the butterfly to listen to their conversation.
Then…
"If I'm here then where in Law's name is Balgus? Why is he making me wait so long? I wake up before the sun is out and to what? Just sit here?"
Hitomi didn't answer. She didn't open her eyes. But she did suppress the almost unyielding urge to Mindwave the annoying blond out of the clearing as far as she could throw her.
Just ignore her. Just ignore her. Just ignore her.
Truly these past few days should have earned Hitomi some kind of award. Selena was mean, spiteful, and spent most of their time together insulting her supposed Zaibachian heritage, her red hair, her power, and her lack of style. Dressed in normal training garb, Hitomi could hardly see the point in criticizing her wardrobe considering this was what everyday soldiers wore. Still, Selena was an Utpote now. And that meant…
"These clothes are stitched so horribly and the fabric is so incredibly itchy. My left sleeve is longer than my right. Really, I look absolutely dreadful. What if someone from the court sees me in this? My life will be over! It's been at least two hours of just waiting and sitting on the nasty ground in these Law-awful clothes. If Balgy is not going to train me then I'm going back to bed."
There was a brief pause. Through the quiet, Hitomi was finally able to silently recover from Selena's usage of the word "Balgy", but then-
"When will you admit it already? I know it was you."
The way she said it. The hatred and vindictiveness in her voice made the redhead's green eyes pop open with surprise. This wasn't a comment about Hitomi's hair or physical features. This was something new she'd concocted. Lifting an eyebrow, she glanced at Selena for the first time since the blond had arrived that early morning. Despite the hilariousness of her nasty Utpote training gear, Hitomi's face remained neutral; waiting for her to finish her sentence. Selena's features were tense and she stared at the trees in front of her. A sharp prick of future tears glistened in her brilliant blue eyes. Looking away, Hitomi missed the shot of pure venom that engrossed Selena's face as she turned to glare murderously at her. Closing her green eyes once more and praying for patience, the redhead tried to find her way back into the trees with the birds. Unfortunately…
"You're not going to confess? You're just going to let some weird cat girl take the blame for it? I know it was you." Her voice increased in volume. "I remember seeing you with Chid. I remember seeing you around him all the time. You are the one that made him this way!"
Patience… peace… the singing birds… wait- what? The Pilot's eyes snapped open once more. Instantly she realized that was a mistake.
"So you are listening to me, bloodhead. You think because you are some Pilot that you can hide behind Van? He won't save you once I tell him what you did to Chid! That you were behind the entire attack! While everyone was watching you awaken Rutilus, you sent your cat demon to finish him off!"
The urge to declare the many epic flaws in Selena's accusations was overwhelming. Hold it in. She's an idiot. Listen to the birds. She's an idiot. She's an idiot. She's the biggest idiot in Fanelia! Scratch that. She's the biggest idiot in Gaia!
"How many of your bloodhead friends did you sneak into our castle to curse him? How many of your secret spies are still among us? How much do you hate me that you've got to take away my precious little brother? You cursed him and now he's gone! I've got you all figured out! You are just waiting to attack me, but you're scared because I know! So, go ahead and do it, bloodhead! I have vox magic now, so I can take you on!"
A crack of lightning broke through the crystal clear morning and roared in the sky. The smell of ozone and sizzling plants filled the air. The birds in the trees fell silent immediately. Hitomi felt for her burning core and breathed deeply. Slowly, she let it seep back into her chest where it belonged. She hadn't meant to lightning bolt like that. It just kind of came out. Opening her gold-green eyes, Hitomi gave the startled blond warning stare before closing her eyes once more. Not before she noticed the small patch of burnt grass about five feet away from the blond.
Oops…
"You can try to frighten me, but I know what you really are. I'll take your place in the Vehotus and then you'll be sorry! You'll be thrown to the dogs once Van realizes what you really are. Then it will be me next to Van in battle. It'll be me with Rutilus Flumen. I have powers that have yet to awaken, so you better watch out! Once I get my vox under control, you'll be the first one to go, bloodhead! You can lightning all you want, but I swear, if you ever-"
A familiar crack of vox energy from transportation resounded in the area and interrupted Selena's empty threat. Hitomi immediately stood and crossed her right arm over her chest in salute. She caught the old man's scarred eyes and nodded with understanding. With a little added flair that was a bit unnecessary, she brought her core forward and let the golden vox swallow her right arm entirely. She heard Selena's unintentional gasp and smirked with pride. The long trident glistened in her fingertips not a moment later and she twirled the weapon perfectly before planting it on the ground.
"The theatrics aren't necessary, Kanzaki." Balgus rolled his small eyes.
"They were necessary to me," Hitomi answered with an honest face. The old man let out a small growl and she stood her ground. Their eyes connected and they spoke in the language only a master and student know.
Balgus' scarred face travelled off Hitomi and narrowed on Selena's seated form. His large grey eyebrows immediately crunched together in annoyance. "Lesson Thirty-Five: When your teacher approaches you for lessons, you stand at attention unless directed otherwise." Another quick scan of his eyes caused the familiar veins in his forehead and neck to protrude. "Where is your weapon of choice, Utpote? I have asked you to concentrate on summoning it!"
Hitomi could hardly resist the urge to glance down at her fellow trainee, but somehow she managed. She saw with her peripheral vision as Selena straightening her back haughtily and she had to press her lips tightly together in anticipation. As the blond let out what she must have thought as a cute giggle, she said sweetly, "Balgy, my name is Selena. What is with this Utpote business?"
Must… resist… urge… to laugh…
The ever-increasing fire that raged behind the old man's eyes was the best reward Hitomi could ever hope for. She clenched her trident a little tighter and it whispered to her in its strange language. Probably to protest her hard grip on it.
Balgus' beady eyes pierced the blonde's blue and his cheeks rushed to an unhealthy magenta. "I was watching you while you sat here with Kanzaki. I had commanded you to mediate this morning and begin the steps to control your newly awakened core. What have I found instead?" The calm before the storm. That's what this was. He was silent as if he wanted Selena to answer. When she didn't, Hitomi felt another surge of triumph that had nothing to do with her and everything to do with Selena digging her grave further. "I asked you what I found sitting here for almost two hours, Utpote! Answer me!"
"My name isn't Utpote!"
Rutilus is going to hate that she missed this!
"I found a brat that doesn't know her place! Now STAND UP!"Birds scattered the clearing. His loud voice erupted just like Hitomi's thunderbolt from earlier. Selena clamored to her feet ungracefully and lowered her eyes from his raging face. He took several steps and grabbed her beautiful face with rough fingers. "When you were given to me, you lost your name, do you understand that?! You have no other name! Selena Schezar is dead!" He emphasized the word with a barking roar. His very presence was so overpowering, the blond was visibly shaking with fear. She tried to look away again and he gripped her chin harder. She let out a whimper of pain. "You are now Utpote! You shall forever be called Utpote unless you earn it back! Your name, your social standing, everything you used to be belongs to me now! You are my pupil! And therefore, you shall never show me or your fellow student disrespect ever again! Kanzaki has a higher rank! You are beneath her! If I catch one more nasty word out of your mouth, I will throw you out of the training and you can go home ruined and disgraced! Your days as a courtier are over! Your days as Selena Schezar are over! You are UTPOTE!"
The tears dripped down her eyes and dribbled off her chin. Letting go of her face, Balgus leaned in till his nose almost touched her forehead. He rumbled out, "Who are you?"
Selena stuttered a little and her lips trembled violently. She opened her mouth and closed it several times.
"I asked you: Who are you?"
"...Utpote…" she answered in a quiet whisper.
"Lesson Three, no one will respect you unless you talk with some back bone. When I ask you to speak, I want you to speak to me clearly, fiercely, like you have fire in your heart. You are nothing. You are Utpote. The only thing on your side is the vox. And if you refuse to do what I say, if you remain untrained, undisciplined, and stupid, you will remain nameless. Your brother informed me your vox is navy blue. That is my color as well. You live up to it and it will carry you to a path filled with wisdom. I have asked the servants to move your belongings into the training quarters. You are not Selena Schezar and therefore you do not stay in her rooms. You are who?"
"I am Utpote," Selena immediately responded, her blue eyes still dripping tears.
"Never forget it. I have special training with Kanzaki. I command you to go to the main fields and mediate your core. You will have your weapon before mid-sun, Utpote."
"B-but I-"
The look from Balgus was the finishing touch. Selena's blond hair whipped in the wind as she turned on heel to stroll out of the clearing. Finally, Hitomi let out the snort of laughter that she'd been holding in the entire time. Glancing at the old man, she saw his eyebrows still contracted.
"And what are you laughing at?"
She sobered immediately. "Nothing."
The old man took a threatening step closer to Hitomi and she resisted the urge to back away. Even if she was The Pilot of Rutilus Flumen, she still felt the authority of Balgus weighing on her aura.
"Proper instruction is not funny, Kanzaki! Utpote will earn her name in due time. Then you better watch your back. You should count yourself lucky that she was put in such a submissive position for you before she had the chance to cause some real social damage. Her accusations are terribly wrong in the eyes of those who know you best, but a lot of royals are still both frightened and angry that you look like our enemy. They'll believe any negative story thrown at you."
And just like that, Hitomi was kicked back into her place. Nodding apologetically at the old man, she dropped the subject and asked, "So, what's on the agenda today? Special training?"
Balgus sat down at the soft grass and motioned for her to do likewise. She let go of her trident and it vanished like vapor. Sitting cross-legged in front of him, she tilted her head curiously.
The old man gave her a strange smile.
"Trials."
Tears whipped down her cheeks and snot rained down her nose, but she didn't care about it. She didn't care about any of it. Selena was humiliated. She'd lost everything: her friends, her family, even her room. Living in the training quarters? Her brother would never allow that to happen. As soon as she saw him, she'd run to him and demand that he apologize to her for ruining her life! Entering one of the main fields, the blond woman stopped her brisk walk, her breath coming out in short pants.
It wasn't fair! It just wasn't fair! She never asked for a core or a vox or anything. She just wanted to be queen. She just wanted Van to notice her. It wasn't as if she hadn't been trying to tap into her new core, she really had. It was just so hard to even summon it, let alone channel. It burned her deep inside like a furnace. How did the other Vehotus members even handle such a horrible thing? Why boast about some wonderful power when it scorched your insides? What was the point?
And Chid. Didn't anyone care that her little brother was on his deathbed? She didn't deserve to be treated like this! Just days ago, she was on her way to turning every courtier against the bloodhead. But now that her core was discovered? Now, no one cared about her. No one worried about poor little Selena! Oh, wait. Not Selena anymore.
"Utpote," she whispered bitterly. She just wanted to scream. Dropping to her knees, she buried her face in her hands and let her anger and self-pity come out in violent sobs. She tried to pour out all her emotions on the scratchy sleeves, but it seemed never-ending. The more she thought about it, the more trapped and helpless she felt. The more helpless she felt, the more she wanted to kick and scream at the world. She eventually lost track of time. She must have been crying for quite a while. It never crossed her mind that someone might walk by her small practice field.
It wasn't until a voice called out that she snapped out of her tears.
"Whoa, that is some loud wailing! You got stomach issues, too?"
Selena let out another explosive sob. Looking up with streaming eyes, she wanted to shriek with frustration. She gave the green man one of her darkest scowl and she saw his face light up with happiness. Not only was she nameless, now this idiot had to show up? Hadn't she endured enough hardships today? Why did the universe have to top it off with Gadeth?
"You ever tried eating the plants that grow near the back shed? Those sometimes make it better – but the last four times I tried that… let's just say I was running, but not moving my legs, if you know what I mean." He let out a laugh and then groaned clutching his stomach. "Dryden told me the best part is the leaves, but you can chew on the stem too if you want. I was just headed out to go get some. You want a plant? Just say the word and I'll get one for you, but don't blame me if you get the squirties."
"Get out of here, Gadeth!" Selena shouted thickly through her stuffy nose. "Don't you have someone else to disgust today?"
"What are you talking about? I never annoy you. Honestly, I don't think I've ever talked to you. First time for everything, I suppose." His wide smile squished his dark eyes into little slits. Selena sat up and tried to smooth her Utpote attire. Running a scratchy sleeve under her eyes, she felt the pricks of a headache forming between her eyes.
"So, you got vox magic, eh? Working on summoning the weapon?" Gadeth took several steps closer and she gave him a glower.
"What's it to you?"
"That was always the worst for me." His grin – if it was possible – grew wider and he lifted a hand to the air. Twirling on tip-toe, he did a silly pirouette and a flourish of green sparks tossed themselves in the air around his left hand. They instantly solidified into a broadsword. All she saw was the strange green sheen of the blade before he suddenly let it go and the weapon disappeared into a green puff of smoke. Spinning out of his dance, he stopped directly in front of her and dropped ungracefully to the ground.
"You'll get it eventually. The reason it is so hard is because your vox is still trying to identify you." She let out a small squeak and blushed as he grabbed the ends of his silk green shirt and yanked it over his head. Holding it to her, his dark eyes crinkle again with his cheerful smile. "Use the shirt to blow your nose."
Her blue eyes widened and she scoffed, "I'm not using this!"
He let out a loud laugh, his right hand immediately going to his naked stomach. "You are so easy to tease! You're making my stomach cramps worse!" Hooting with chuckles, he shook his head. "Green is green whether snotty or clean."
Selena blinked. "Did you mean for that to rhyme?"
He stopped laughing and just smiled at her. Lifting his left hand, he pretended to snort into an invisible shirt. "Now you try."
Sighing, she lifted the shirt to her face and inhaled a strangely sweet smell. It was fruity – sort of like peaches. Blowing out her nose, she glanced down at the mess she made and grimaced. The man was topless and now his shirt was ruined. Was he used to being naked?
"Toss it back." Gadeth's crinkle eyes shinned at her encouragingly. She pressed her lips together and handed back the silk shirt – which he immediately threw over his head. Wiggling to the neck hole, his face popped out of the hole with a silly expression. Her nose drippings had created a huge wet spot from the collar of his shirt all the way down to his waistline.
Selena was mortified. "Wait! It's got-"
"Your snot on it, yeah, I know. I was the one that told you to blow your nose."
"Why are you wearing it, then?"
He tossed her another grin and she blinked in surprise. The shirt was tight on his shoulders and torso; trapping his arms against his sides. He wasn't trying to get them free. Crossing his legs, he scooted closer to her with his legs dragging his butt on the grass.
"What are you doing? Back up!" The blond woman ordered, forgetting she was now a subordinate to Gadeth by several ranks. He shook his head and she noticed how close up his dark eyes twinkled in the sunlight. Swallowing, her stomach gave a strange twist and her throat seemed to constrict. "Look, I want to be alone right now."
"Why?" He tilted his head like a small puppy and she felt her face heat up slightly.
"B-because you are too close to me."
"But I'm trying to help you."
She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Oh, really? All I hear is horror stories from you. Why in the world would you possibly want to help me? Did Allen put you up to this?"
The green man's eyes crossed for a bit giving him an eccentric look. "Horror stories? From who? I keep telling everyone I'm as innocent as yesterday's pudding!"
"That itself might be a factor." Selena stated, fighting a smile. "Yesterday's pudding? Where do you come up with this stuff?"
"No one knows. Not even I know. Do you know?"
The blond woman snorted a laugh. Gadeth's eyebrows raised a fraction and he instantly beamed at her. She felt her heart speed up slightly. Taking a deep breath, she noticed comforting warmth slowly washing through her. She watched as he scooted even closer with his arms still ridiculously pinned. The inside of his ankle touched her knees and her blue eyes widened. She was about to back away, but then he closed his eyes and leaned towards her chest. After several seconds of processing through shock, she finally gasped loudly and shoved violently on his shoulders. He almost fell backward on the grass.
His dark eyes flew open at once and he gave her a blank look.
"What?"
"S-stop!" She reached up and felt her cheek burning. He was mocking her! How dare he think he could do such a forward thing? This was unthinkable behavior! Completely uncalled for! Her mind was scrambling. "Stop leaning!"
"I'm not leaning," Gadeth said, looking bored. Her face flushed a deeper red and irritation burned in her stomach.
"Yes, you were! You were practically in my face!"
"This is how I meditate."
"How is that meditating!?"
"Everyone is unique."
"You lean?"
"I wasn't leaning. I was tilting. There's a difference."
"No, there isn't!"
"I'm trying to teach you something. Please wake up and realize it." The twinkle in his eyes fizzled out as he gave her an uncharacteristically pointed look.
"I don't need you to tea-"
"If Balgus sent you here by yourself, then apparently you do. Now, I've never been one to follow the straight lines of rules, but even I know the difference between a preppy command and a pish-posh command."
Selena was lost. First, he gave her his shirt to blow her nose in, second he put it back on despite her messing it up, third he made a move on her, and now he was trying to justify getting too close for comfort by telling her he was teaching her. What did she need to know from him anyways? This was Gadeth, the clown of the Vehotus. Her blue eyes condescendingly flicked up and down his thin frame. He even looked like a fool with his arms pinned by his tight shirt. Now that she'd seen his torso, she realized he was all skin and bones. Lanky, goofy, and completely ridiculous. Her gaze hit his dark eyes and they gave a hint of a sparkle.
"Close your eyes," he commanded gently "This is the difference between a preppy command and a pish-posh command. A preppy command will actually help you in the long run. A pish-posh command is useless and only exists to smother talents that should be free to blossom. Those can be broken into a thousand pieces for all I care. A preppy command is something that needs to be heeded. It is given for your own good. It will probably save your life one day. On a side note, everything Balgus says is a preppy command. I know it is tough dealing with him and I know he can be a bit rudie-tootie, but he means well. But this is where the tricky part comes up. You have to figure out which one is which. Once you get that in your thick blond head, you'll be alright. Now, close your eyes."
She gave a short huff and – against her better judgment – closed her eyes.
"By the way, meditating is always the worst for me. I've never been one to sit still and just let the time roll by. It should be a sin to live your life that way. I've always considered my time is well spent being on the move. My mind runs with the might of a stampeding pony. I cannot be confined. A wild spirit, so to speak. What good will I do if I'm still?"
"Or what bad?" Selena smirked through her closed eyes. "A stampeding pony?"
Gadeth let out a laugh. "I have the attention span of one, too! I have a flicker of a feeling that you are exactly like me in this."
"There is no way I'm like-"
"Be nice," the green man interrupted. "This is a preppy command and, if I were you, I'd take it to heart. Now, speaking of heart, the best way I can concentrate is if I try to hear my heart beating."
Selena would have rolled her eyes if she didn't have them closed. "That is just stupid."
"What did I say about being nice? You might get introduced to some of those horror stories you've heard so much about if you don't." She could hear the smile in his voice - and the warning.
"Try to hear my heart beat…" she repeated dully. A silence fell between them. Swallowing down her uneasy feeling of vulnerability, she began to relax. Bit by bit, little by little, a feeling of calm serenity coursed through her. Meanwhile, she began catching sounds she'd never bothered to hear before. She listened further and could hear the soft breeze glide through the blades of grass around her. Inhaling deeply, she caught the lovely aroma of Gadeth's strange peach-smelling shirt.
"Now, look inside you." His voice was soft, almost like a caress. "What do you feel?"
Selena mentally dived her sharpened senses inside herself and the beat of a heart thumped quietly in her head. It was almost like an afterthought, but she heard it. A sense of pride enveloped her and her heartbeat grew stronger. She moved further, inspecting her body with these new 'eyes'. She tilted her head in surprise as she came across something firm right beneath her heart. Selena's face burst into a congratulatory grin.
"I can hear my heart! I can hear it, Gadeth! And I feel my entire body. And the core! I think I found the core! It doesn't hurt at all!"
"I can, too!"
She let out a surprised squeak. His voice was way too close!
Her eyes popped open and she saw the green man's squinting eyes an inch from her own. With a scream that echoed across the field, she reached up and pushed Gadeth's face away. Her blue eyes widened as he flew several yards back and landed with an undignified thump on the soft ground. Jumping quickly to her feet in defense, she felt a burst of heat in her chest and instinctively clenched her fists. Instantly something hard and solid hit both her palms and she clamped down on them tightly.
Looking at the man suspiciously, she waited for him to roll off the ground and face her. Raising her hands, she finally noticed what she was clutching.
Small scythes…
The sharp blades billowed small amounts of dark blue vapor… Selena was frozen in disbelief. Her eyes filled themselves with the razor edges. Scythes…
"Well, look at that!" Gadeth roared excitedly from the ground. He bent his legs up and jumped to his feet using the momentum. "I believe you got yourself a weapon, little lady! More like two of them! You got some Millerna in you! And bless my soul! Your vox is navy blue just like Balgus! That should give you some favoritism!" He did a ridiculous pirouette twirl in her honor – his arms still pinned to his sides.
"They're scythes…" she whispered to her hands. "Scythes…"
"Hand scythes, to be exact." The green man nodded. "And aren't they just first class?"
"No… no… no, no, no, not scythes..." She let go of both weapons to grab her face. The scythes disappeared instantly. A rumble of panic ripped through her. "I don't want them… I can't have them…" They were ugly. So, ugly... and wrong. She wasn't like that! Why did her power summon scythes?
Gadeth tilted his head questioningly. "What's wrong with that? I think they're really…" he obviously racked his brain for something a girl would want to hear. "…pretty?"
She was silent for a moment. Lowering her small hands, she looked at her shaking palms. "The power manifests itself based on the personality of the user, right? It has to get to know me and then it adapts to who I am, right? Scythes are…" She gasped as her hands blurred with navy. "Oh, Law! My arms! My vox! I'm burning!"
"Flip-dippidy-doodly-doo!" He rushed towards her, a flash of worry on his usually cheerful face.
She stared at him incredulously. "What does that mean? Help me!"
"Doodly-dippidy-deedly-doo, duh!" He answered seriously, giving her a look like she was stupid. He stopped about a foot from her and she immediately felt the urge to back away to make space. Swallowing down her increasing nervousness, she forced herself to stand her ground as another pulse of power burst through her body. Raising her chin, she looked at his studious face as he took one more step closer. Her nose was only inches from his chest. She could smell the sweet fruit scent on his shirt. Her heart accelerated and the core burned even hotter in her chest. Her breath started coming in short gasps.
"You got a power core problem. You can turn it on, but you can't shut it off properly."
She glared at him, her blue eyes glowing with twinges of navy. "What do you know?"
"Quite a bit actually." His voice was gentle, calm. His breath disturbed the blond hairs on her head. "Close your eyes for me."
"Not with you standing so close," she panted back. With another pulse, she reflexively wrapped her arms over her chest in pain.
"Just… trust me." His dark eyes connected with hers and she let go of another sharp breath. A throb of agony washed down her legs. He nodded encouragingly.
"O-okay. I'll trust you."
Closing her eyes, her senses began to sharpen – quicker this time – and she could practically taste the peaches within mere seconds of concentrating. The burning core flamed so suffocating and bright she was seeing spots behind her eyes.
"Try to hear your heart." Gadeth instructed with his voice deep and solemn. "Listen for the beats. Let it lead you to the core."
She searched with her senses, her vox-driven hearing immediately zeroing in on the harsh thumps of her heart. Focusing, she knew her core was just underneath. She gave a quick gasp as she felt it. "Gadeth! It's rushing out! How do I stop it? It's keeps burning!"
"Calm down. Take a deep breath and will the power back."
"How do I do that?!"
There was a moment of silence between them. Selena gritted her teeth and waited for his reply.
"Don't…" He faltered a bit. "Don't… um…"
"Don't, what?"
"Don't take this the wrong way," he whispered and she felt his forehead touch hers. She took another staggering breath as the color green began bleeding behind her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She whispered, her entire body trembled with both the power and his presence. The essence of peaches was practically overwhelming.
"Just trust me."
The green traveled quickly down her spine – not boiling hot like hers, but very warm and mild.
"Concentrate on what I'm doing right now. Feel it."
"Okay."
As his green vox swooped down her body she realized it was acting like a guiding hand. Only small bits of it traveled down her arms and began tenderly coaxing her navy back up her limbs.
"This might hurt a bit. You've got vox in your legs. I'm going to diggly-doodly-dip-dah, okay?"
"Whatever," Selena whispered back, reveling in the feeling of his calm power.
The green swooped down her legs and she cringed in pain. She felt his fingers touch her thin shoulder and she flinched a bit.
"Your h-hand was trapped in your shirt!"
"Don't worry about that right now. Calm your heart down. Take deep breaths. Diggly-doodly-dip-dah only takes a moment, okay?"
It must have been half a minute; Selena waited and felt the whole of her vox sweeping back to her beating heart. The green managed the flow of the navy vox with ease.
"Imagine it going to your core. After that, it just takes willpower. You've got to build up your willpower to fully manipulate the vox. I've got it gathered and stabled in your chest. Push it in on your own. Once you got it going, it should flow back inside without too much work."
She let the vision of her navy power sucking back in the tiny vessel wash over her mind. Selena breathed deeply and felt the hot vox slowly receding from her chest.
"I'm doing it." She whispered happily.
"Excellent dipple-doodle-dem-doo, little Schezar."
The use of her last name made her eyes pop open. As the power flooded back into the now-stable core, she studied Gadeth's pale face curiously. His smile was reassuringly present – stretched on his lips like he was born with a smile. Though his dark eyes were closed, she could still image the twinkling lights that sparked in them. He had always been such a distant afterthought. She never thought he was this powerful and strong. Gadeth was the clown, the trouble-maker, the one everyone blamed every little problem on. He was always so happy and smiling. She blinked and sighed. The comforting green vox was beginning to retreat back up her head through the back of her neck. She closed her eyes quickly as the last drop left her forehead and slipped back into him.
And then he was gone. Her forehead felt cold where he had connected with her. Opening her normal blue eyes, she almost gasped as he let go of her shoulder.
His shirt was gone. Just… gone.
"Where did your shirt go?" Selena squeaked, her cheeks reddening once more.
"Be careful or you'll power surge again." Gadeth warned – but his smile grew even bigger. He flexed his pecks in a distorted rhythm. "You liked what you saw last time; I decided to continue the show."
"Con… continue the show?" she could hardly believe it. She swallowed her surprise, tossed her hair, and crossed her arms with as much diginity she could muster. "Put your shirt back on! Summon it back! Whatever you did to make it go away!"
Gadeth slouched in disappointment. "Just like Millerna. No fun at all."
"This is normal?"
"What's normal, little Schezar?"
Hearing her last name again wiped her nervousness at seeing his shirtless torso. Hanging her head, she let her blond hair fall over her eyes. "You shouldn't call me that anymore. I'm not a Schezar. I'm a nobody. I'm useless."
"It's also translated as nameless, too." He piped in helpfully. She felt the burn of tears beneath her eyes and clenched her fists to fight back her raging emotions. "Look Utpote, just like everything else in this world, it takes practice to get the vox down. Now, I wouldn't recommend surging like you did, but I think you'll get your name back sooner than you realize."
"Why do you think that?" She reached up to brush a dripping tear from her cheek. The fabric scratched her face and she choked back a sob.
"Because you have scythes! That has got to be the most unique weapon I've ever seen. I'm a dumb-doodle sword, but you! You have two-handed slashy things! There's so much you can do with that. I've always considered myself a flashy individual, so when I got the broadsword as a weapon… well, you can understand my disappointment."
Selena looked at his naked chest and the strange twinkle in his eyes – and nodded with understanding.
"But! I found ways around that. I found a way to use my creativity without relying on the sword. I have the highest tolerance to vox magic. Your vox burned in your legs, right?"
"It burned in my everything actually," the blond woman smiled through her tears.
"Yeah! Well, for majority of people, they can't stand having vox magic in their legs. It hurts. Hurts a lot worse than the rest of the body. I…" He scratched the back of his head modestly. "Don't tell anyone, but I've experimented with the vox, with mine specifically. It was colder than yours, right? Not as boiling lava hot?"
She nodded.
"I manipulated it so I can handle the vox in my legs and... in my everything, as you put it. Because of that, I've had a good time tinkering with various dibble-bee-doogle-dubs and daggle-duff-"
Selena cut him off with a raised hand. "I get it." She said smiling. "I understand what you are saying. Just because I don't like my weapon doesn't mean I don't have other avenues."
"Exactomoundo-poondo!" Gadeth snapped his fingers. "It takes creativity and a little imagination. Well, I best be off getting that plant. My stomach still hurts." Without a second glance, he turned on his heel and skipped off, swinging his arms ridiculously wide. The blond watched him go – a strange mixture of relief and regret swirling in her. A strong urge to call him back made her heart thump nervously. She stopped herself just as her mouth popped open to say his name.
Shaking her head hopelessly, she chided herself. This was Gadeth of all people. He was insane… but… her blue eyes watched his disappearing form and she sighed to herself.
"He's a good person." She murmured under her breath. Lowering herself on the grass, she closed her eyes and listened to the silence. With a small smile, she realized she was tilting forward slightly.
The landscape was always changing. Always moving. Never-ending. She didn't know where she was going. She hadn't stopped since she began. Since she left the city. Her body was crying for her to stop. Her paws ripped and bled and she was so thirsty. But her mind was racing still. It wouldn't even let her sleep. It made her move, made her keep running. Running to where? To what?
She wanted to ask the strange burning pressure that lit her from the inside, but it was a silent and harsh guide. She needed someone to stop her. She needed someone to help her.
She needed someone to love her.
As she pushed her raging muscles and pulsed with the fire in her veins, she hardly noticed the sharp smell of coarse fur until it was too late. A sharp numbness dug deeply into her neck and Merle collapsed mid-sprint. Panting and wheezing, she felt the driving force slowly leave her body as she slid the last couple of feet on the fallen leaves. The trees... she saw the swaying trees. Her eyes were bluring.
What was happening?
The pressure... where was it going? It wasn't leaving her here to die alone, right? Attempting to move her arms, Merle breathed heavily as she realized her limbs refused to obey her commands. Her legs twitched once and grew cold on the foliage. The severe numbness traveled up her neck and froze her mouth.
Shivering, unable to move, she closed her eyes and let the numbness take away her sight. Her body was frozen and - for once - she didn't care.
She would finally rest.
She thought of Chid. They were the same now. Both trapped in the darkness. Maybe she'd find a way to join him.
Her ears twitched. The sound of footsteps. Many footsteps.
In the growing ebony, her mind processed one last thing: someone had found her.
Like I said before, I have one more chapter planned before exciting things happen. It'll clear up a few smaller characters I wanted to touch base with before I jumped into the hurtle of the Trials. That is going to take a lot of time - but it's going to be so freakin fun to write you don't even know jsklafjdesafbd!
Well, like I said before there was a startling lack of Van and Hitomi interactions in this particular chapter, but I've had a lot of them lately and I felt I needed to branch out a bit. So, what's Balgus' special training? What has happened with Merle? Now that Selena has met Gadeth, will she get rotten fruit shot at her face from invisible catapults (probably because she is still my least favorite character)? Hope you tune in next time!
Also, this chapter was brought to you by Pandora and whatever they played on their classical study station. It was divine!
Thanks again!
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